November 5, 2010

Link-O-Rama

• And to think, all this time I was ashamed of my collection of Tim Biakabutuka rookie cards.

• I've done some really weird things out of sheer laziness, but this seems like a bit much.

• Like clockwork, every couple decades Bill Carter gets to write amazing stuff about Jay Leno screwing over another late-night host.

• Roughly translated this story means "Aaron will see the movie in a theater the night it opens and probably buy the DVD."

• I used to listen to "Ice Ice Baby" on my Walkman while waiting for my dad to pick me up from first grade. Now the song is 20 years old and Sony has stopped making Walkmans. I feel old.

John Mayer is obviously a big believer in the "if there's grass on the field, play ball" theory.

• It took 20 years too long, but the most underrated performer in radio history is finally getting the attention he deserves.

• If you've ever wondered why Diora Baird is an Official Fantasy Girl of AG.com candidate, click here to see the beauty and click here to see the charm. And her Twitter feed is great too.

• I remain a huge Kevin Garnett fan, but the odds of him actually uttering the words "you are cancerous to your team and our league" are about the same as me saying "no thanks, I don't like donuts."

• As someone who attempted to sit in the back of any classroom he ever entered, this analysis couldn't be more accurate.

• He may be a 12-year-old in a smoking jacket, but he's also only human.

• All the restaurants in Tennessee better get their shit together in a hurry.

• And yet Green Man gets away scotfree.

• Yuengling is looking to spread its wings and hopefully it means my favorite beer being widely available in Minnesota some day.

• One man, one word, one hilarious video:

Luckily for Don Draper it'll be another 30 years before Wayne's World.

• This seems like a big mistake for someone who has become a sex symbol because she looks unlike other women on television. I vote nay.

• I can't wait to read the "Ida Blankenship, Queen Of Perversions" chapter.

• Last month I read an interview with Kiernan Shipka and assumed that her responses must have been written by someone else because they seemed impossibly mature and well-spoken. Turns out, Sally Draper is just the world's most thoughtful 10-year-old.

• I'm predictably hooked on AMC's new show The Walking Dead after one episode, and based on the incredible premiere ratings apparently I'm not alone.

• Friend of AG.com and Basketball Prospectus writer Kevin Pelton penned an in-depth analysis of the first of many John Wall-Evan Turner matchups.

This picture is one of the many reasons why he's my favorite pitcher.

Pablo Sandoval celebrated the Giants' championship much like I would have.

• If you think of it as 25 percent of his lifetime earnings, this suddenly doesn't seem so crazy.

• How can someone have so many television shows and so little money?

• I enjoy when Baseball America dusts off their old scouting reports, like this one on the World Series MVP as a 20-year-old prospect.

• Friend of AG.com Andrew Bryz-Gornia is up for a blogging scholarship and needs your vote.

• I'm addicted to WhatIfSports.com's Hardball Dynasty game and my league has one franchise open with a new season set to begin next week. Hardball Dynasty is not fantasy baseball, but rather an incredibly detailed simulation of running a fictional MLB organization from rookie-ball to the majors, so due to the steep learning curve and time commitment required we're looking for an owner with previous Hardball Dynasty experience. If you're interested, let me know.

• Here are some highlights from my NBCSports.com blogging this week:

- Brian Sabean has no plans to trade Barry Zito … because he can't
- Why did the Yankees fire their pitching coach if it had nothing to do with pitching?
- Rangers decline $9 million option on Vladimir Guerrero
- Are coaches underpaid? (And how much was Davey Lopes worth to the Phillies?)
- State taxes could play a factor in Cliff Lee choosing between Rangers and Yankees
- Don't count on Eduardo Nunez as Derek Jeter's successor
- Adrian Beltre officially becomes a free agent by declining $10 million option
- Astros eliminate "advance scout" position to focus on video

• Finally, this week's AG.com-approved music video is "Evolve" by Kermit Quinn, which really is an excellent song if you're willing to overlook it being made for use in a Gatorade commercial: